diff --git a/interfaces/matlab/testpath.m b/interfaces/matlab/testpath.m
index 7e773dacf..7b90a512b 100644
--- a/interfaces/matlab/testpath.m
+++ b/interfaces/matlab/testpath.m
@@ -1,8 +1,15 @@
-% get list of directories
-% dirs = strread(path, '%s', 'delimiter', pathsep);
+% testpath.m
+% Set up environment for testing the Cantera Matlab interface
+% from within the Cantera source tree. Run this file from the
+% root of the Cantera source tree, e.g.:
+%
+%    cd ~/src/cantera
+%    run interfaces/matlab/testpath.m
+
+% get the list of directories on the Matlab path
 dirs = regexp(path, ['([^' pathsep ']*)'], 'match');
 
-% if 'cantera' is already in the path, we want to remove it
+% if 'cantera' is already in the path, remove it
 for i = 1:length(dirs)
     if strfind(dirs{i}, 'Cantera')
         rmpath(dirs{i});
@@ -13,8 +20,21 @@ for i = 1:length(dirs)
     end
 end
 
-path(path, [pwd filesep 'toolbox']);
-path(path, [pwd filesep 'toolbox' filesep '1D']);
+% Add the Cantera toolbox to the Matlab path
+path(path, fullfile(pwd, 'toolbox'));
+path(path, fullfile(pwd, 'toolbox', '1D'));
+
+cantera_root = fullfile(pwd, '..', '..');
+
+% Copy the Cantera shared library from the build directory if necessary
+if strcmp(getenv('OS'), 'Windows_NT')
+    copyfile(fullfile(cantera_root, 'build', 'lib', 'cantera_shared.dll'), ...
+             fullfile(pwd, 'toolbox'))
+end
 
 % Set path to Python module
-%setenv('PYTHONPATH', [pwd filesep 'interfaces' filesep 'python'])
+setenv('PYTHONPATH', fullfile(cantera_root, 'interfaces', 'python'))
+setenv('CANTERA_DATA', fullfile(cantera_root, 'data', 'inputs'))
+
+% A simple test to make sure that the ctmethods.mex file is present and working
+f = Func('polynomial', 3, [1,2,3,4])